Liberian lawmakers criticized the government’s attempt to halt implementation of a ratified telecommunications agreement, saying the move risks undermining the country’s commitment to the rule of law and could hurt investor confidence.
Bomi County Senator Edwin Snowe and Gbarpolu County Senator Amara Konneh said the executive branch’s push to stop the 2024 deal between the Liberia Telecommunications Authority and U.S.-based Telecommunication International Alliance, or TIA, sets a troubling precedent for contract enforcement in the West African nation.
The controversy centers on an agreement that gives TIA authority to oversee and monitor Liberia’s telecommunications services, including incoming and outgoing calls. The government has sought to block the pact, citing alleged irregularities in how it was processed.
Snowe said conflicting legal opinions from the Justice Ministry have added to the confusion, while questions around a letter of no objection from the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission have further complicated the issue.
“At one point, the opinion from the Ministry of Justice said it was wrong. Then another opinion came and said it was right. Then another came again,” Snowe said during an appearance on OK Conversation last week. “When we personalize things and make it look like for Julius it is prohibited, and for Edwin Snowe it is right, then we have a problem.”
The senator said Liberia’s laws don’t provide for the de-ratification of an agreement already approved by the Legislature, arguing that the proper route would be renegotiation or arbitration.
“The Liberian Senate said there is nothing in our jurisprudence that allows us to de-ratify a ratified agreement,” he said. “Once ratified, it carries constitutional protection.”
Snowe and Konneh said any concerns about the deal should be addressed through legal procedures rather than executive action. They warned that reversing a ratified contract outside established legal channels could damage Liberia’s reputation among foreign investors.
“If you are not comfortable with a legal document, there are procedures under the law to address it,” Snowe said. “Call the parties, use the clauses in the contract, or go to arbitration. But to just say de-ratify it, that is not something we have done before.”
The government is also planning to bring in a new company, NUMBTEL Liberia, according to Snowe, though he did not give details.
The dispute over TIA has widened friction between the executive and legislative branches, with lawmakers saying the issue underscores a broader problem in Liberia’s handling of concessions and contracts.
Snowe linked the controversy to earlier disputes over deals such as MedTech, CTN and Western Cluster, saying the country still faces persistent challenges in contract governance.
“Investor concerns repeatedly center on respect for the rule of law,” he said.
The government has said rule of law is one of the pillars of its ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, a policy platform aimed at restoring trust in state institutions after years of what officials have described as anti-rule-of-law conduct by previous administrations.
But critics say the handling of the TIA agreement contradicts that commitment and could weaken reforms meant to improve Liberia’s investment climate.
